Vehicle tank



April 22, .1941.

F. Pil-:Rc:

VEHICLE TANK mea April zo.l 1939 M Nf,

#AL m51. l. f f

Patented Apr. 422, 1941 VEHICLE TANK Firth Pierce, East Los Angeles, Calif., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to A. 0. Smith Corporation, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of New York Application April zo, 1939, serial No. 268,921

(el. aso-s) 7Claims.

embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a tank and frame structure made in accordance with the invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a portion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 and taken on thefline 2-2 of Fis. 3; and

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33ofFiga1 and2.

Referring to the drawing the tank shell I0 is The several members may-be arc welded together to form a rigid unitary structure before assembly with the tank or flange 2| may be iirst welded to the tank wall as two spaced strips to provide for the drain openingA 24 and then the web welded to the strips.

interposed between the tank and a supporting truck frame 26 are a pair of longitudinal opposed sills Zlof Z section lwhich are welded at their upper out-turned anges to the lower side of the tank and extend for its full length. 'I'he sills are so spaced that each one will rest upon its respective side bar of the truck frame and is secured thereto by bolts 28 engaging the lower inturned flange of the sill and the upper inturned flange of the side bar. Transverse plates 29 may be interposed between the sills preferably in line with effective longitudinal stiffening means and a supclosed at its ends by heads i2 and I3 and is divided into three compartments A, B andl C by two pairs of intermediate bulkheads Il and I5. These heads arepreferably arc welded to shell I0 to provide iiuid tight joints About midway of the length'of each compartment a baille head I6 is positionedl and welded along its periphery to the shell I0. These heads prevent surging of the contents of the compartment and act in conjunction with the bulk heads' to stiften the tank transversely. head I6 has a manhole i'l near its topy and a drain opening I 8 in` its lower edge. v

Departing from` the customaryy practice of mounting the tank upon transverse holsters out` side lthe, tank and supported by the truck frame, transverse holsters I9 are positioned'within the .tank and welded to the inside of its lower wall. These holsters are placed substantiallyl midway between the baille head and the end heads ofeaeh compartment and are about one fourth the height of the tank at its vertical axis. Each bolster comprises a vertical web 2l, a lower ilange 2l, an .upperan'ge 22 and two vertical flanges '23 each extending from the lower tothe upper flanges at a position over the'siiie bars of thetruck frame. Thal wer edge Aof the bolster is curved comple- `men to the lower tankwall to which it is Each* port which presents a closed plain side which is neat in appearance.

For axle clearance the truck frame is often inclined upwardly toward the rear, as shown. In this ease the sills 21 are tapered toward ythe rear so as'to maintain the tank in a substantially horizontal position, enough tilt' being allowed for,-

drainage. Where the truckframe is horizontal, the sills have' Just enough taper to support the tank at a slight tilt to permit drainage. The sills thus serve as anadapter interposed between the tank and truck frame and may be shaped to meet varying conditions.

With the structure disclosed in the drawing and above described atank is provided which will readily resist any nornial transverse and inuse.

' welded and the upper vedge is preferably straight v and horizontal butmay be formed in 'any desirable shape. The-bolster is provided with a drain manway openings and drain connections.

Various "changes may bedmade in details of Aconstruction without departing from thespint the following to the inside of the lower wall of the tankQa ilange at the upper edge of 'said plate, and vertical'ribs edge welded to a side of the plate and The tank may be providedwith any desirable engaging said lower and upper anges and welded thereto. i v

2. In combination, a vehicle tank, a supporting frame having a pair of spaced side rails, two longitudinal sill members secured to the bottom of the tank and spaced to engage the tops of the side rails to which they are attached, a transverse vertical ree'nforcing plate in the lower part of the tank, a ilange welded to the lower edge of said plate and to the inside of the lower wall of the tank, a ange at the upper edge of said plate, and vertical ribs edge welded to a side of the plate and engaging said lower and upper iianges and welded thereto and spaced to lie in the vertical plane of their respective sill member.

3. In combination, a vehicle tank, a' supporting frame having a pair of spaced channel shaped side rails positioned with upper and lower anzes,

ytwo longitudinal Z shaped sill members secured to the bottom of the tank by their upper ilanges and spaced to engage the upper ilang'es of the side rails to which they are attached by their lower iianges, a transverse vertical reeniorcing plate in the lower part of the tank, a flange `welded to the lower' edge of said plate and to the inside of the lower wall of the tank, a lange at the upper edge of said plate, and a pair of vertical ribs edge welded to a side of the plate and engaging said lower and upper ilanges and welded thereto and spaced apart to lie in thev vertical plane of the web of their respective sill member.

4. In a vehicle tank. a transverse vertical reeniorcing member in the lower part thereof having a height of approximately one-fourth that of the tank and having a lower edge complementary to the lower inside wall of the tank and a drain opening therein, and having a substantially straight horizontal upper edge.

5. In a vehicle tank, a pairof circumferentially disposed bands welded to the lower inside wall thereof and spaced endwise to permit drainage, atransverse vertical reenforcing member of a height less than half that of the tank and having a lower edge complementary to said bands and welded thereto, said vertical plate having a drain opening at the space between the bands 'and a straight horizontal upper anged edge.

lwelded around its edges to the inside wall of the tank, the strip extending transversely of the tank along a substantial portion of the lower surface of the tank, and a vertical reinforcing plate extending transversely of the tank and having its lower edge cut to conform to the curvature of the tank and edge welded to the center of said strip, said vertical plate having a horizontal ilange at its upper edge and vertical ribs secured thereto for stiflening the ange and plate.

FIRTH PIERCE. 

